All games will be played under WNY/USA Hockey rules.  These are USA Hockey Sanctioned tournaments.  All players must be recognized by USA Hockey or C.A.H.A/OMHA.  The use of any illegal or unauthorized players will result in the immediate expulsion from the tournament and the loss of all fees paid. 

General Rules
All teams are guaranteed a minimum of three games.
All teams must be ready fifteen minutes prior to their scheduled game time.
All teams receive a two minute warm-up period

Mite,Novice,/Squirt,Atom (Minor and Major)
The games are 10 minute stop time periods.  However, if a team leads by five or more goals in the third period, play becomes running time.  Stop time resumes any time the goal differential changes to less than five goals.

Peewee(Minor and Major)/Bantam((Minor and Major)
The games are 12 minute stop time periods. However, if a team leads by five or more goals in the third period, play becomes running time.  Stop time resumes any time the goal differential changes to less than five goals.

Midget(Minor and Major)
The games are 13 minute stop time periods. However, if a team leads by five or more goals in the third period, play becomes running time.  Stop time resumes any time the goal differential changes to less than five goals.

Under USA Hockey, all Mite/Novice, and Squirt/Atom are non contact.  Minor Peewee and above are full body contact. 

All minor penalties are two minute.  Any game misconducts called against a player/coach during the tournament will be enforced.

Each team receives one, one minute time out, which can be used at any time during the game.

The home team chooses the jersey color.  They must inform the visiting team of their choice.

Each team is responsible for obtaining and completing the game sheet.  The first team arriving to the rink will be given a game sheet at the registration desk.  Once completed, they should turn the game sheet over to the other team.  This team then should submit the scoresheet to the gamekeeper.

All teams must provide a set of car keys to obtain a lockeroom key.  Teams must clean their lockeroom in order to get their key back.  All damages will be billed to the team that was responsible.

Only coaches can present disputes to an official of the tournament.

Any team not staying at one of the host hotels, except for the local Western New York teams will be disqualified from participating in the semi-final and final games of the tournament.  The next place team will assume your placement.

USA Hockey Rules that may differ from Canadian Rule
Puck Ruling-Mite/Novice teams must use Blue Pucks rather thatn the traditional Black Puck.  The Blue Puck is lighter and can be managed better by the younger players.  To all Canadian teams, it would be wise to incorporate the use of Blue Pucks in a few of your practices prior to the tournament.

Offside Ruling-USA Hockey replaced the delayed offside rule with an automatic whistle.  Consequently, if a player is offside, the whistle will be blown immediately.  If the offside is accidential then the face-off will occur just outside the offensive zone blue-line, an intentional offside will be whistled down with the face-off occuring in the violating team's defensive zone.

No Tolerance-At the referees discretion, a two minute minor may be accessed to any player or coach who uses offensive language, or antagonistic gestures towards a referee, USA Hockey Official, player, or coach.

Redline Ruling-The redline is not recognized for two-line passes.  However, it is still consider fo an icing

Player in the crease-If an offensive player skates through the opposing teams crease the play is automatically whistled down, with the face-off occuring outside the offensive zone.


We suggest that all Canadian teams gain clarification on the rules mentioned above by meeting with their referees prior to each game.